The Principle: Mankind is destined to journey through outer space encountering all manner of bizarre worlds, strange creatures and cheap special effects.

The Problems: The principle is unlikely to be met for the following reasons:

(1) Cost - Delivering a payload into Earth's orbit costs an awful lot of money, I don't have the figures to hand but it is an astronomical sum.

(2) Disease - Why would we infect our poor universal cousins with the cold virus and other nasties? (See: The Cold Virus and Other Nasties)

(3) Mundane issues - Why would we inflict our obsession with the weather upon any other life form?

(4) What makes us think our obsession with the weather is of interest to our universal cousins (especially the single cellular variety)?

(5) The most optimistic estimate of maximum obtainable speed in Space is put at 10% the speed of light (and this involves using a power source outlawed in various high-brow conventions with the Super Powers so this a moot point, but I'm going to carry on anyway) meaning it would take 43 years to reach the nearest star system, Alpha Centauri. What sick mind would want to stay couped up in a tin can with anyone for 43 years? You'd be a blithering idiot after all that.

The solution: Stay at home, have a nice cup of tea and a scone (See: Scones) and try to forget the universe exists. It's much too big to contemplate in any case. I tried and got a cerebral hernia for my trouble.